Public safety organizations are no strangers to doing more with less. For many of these nonprofits, budget and funding cuts are often a fact of life.
Given how these agencies already face immense challenges around data management, personnel, and processes, that's a problem.
Poorly integrated, insecure legacy systems introduce unacceptable delays to scenarios where every second counts. Information sharing between units is disjointed at best, held back by communication and data silos. Cumbersome data entry and records management solutions reduce both productivity and situational awareness.
The good news is that cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can help public safety organizations overcome many of these challenges.
The bad news is that many of these agencies still subscribe to many myths and misconceptions about the technology. Let's clear the air.
Below are five of the most common myths about cloud ERP usage in the public safety sector — all debunked.
One of the most widely-held misconceptions about cloud ERP software is that it's difficult to use and implement.
The problem, we're told, is that these solutions have a steep learning curve and introduce considerable administrative overhead. Introducing such a platform to an already resource-constrained public safety organization would be a disaster waiting to happen.
There probably are a few ERP solutions that are needlessly complicated. But Sparkrock 365 isn't one of them. As the only ERP solution hosted in the cloud and tailored specifically for public safety, Sparkrock is simple to both use and deploy. With the ability to connect with reporting tools like Power BI, making data-driven decisions is easy. More importantly, it considerably reduces administrative overhead, consolidating data to establish a single source of truth while also automating repetitive manual processes.
When a private sector organization suffers a cyberattack, it might lose money or experience reputational damage. When a public safety organization is compromised, though? That could cost people their lives.
With that in mind, it isn't particularly surprising that the public safety sector is a bit leery of cloud ERP. After all, cloud systems are less secure than on-premises systems, right? You've probably already guessed — that question is rhetorical.
This misconception probably dates back to the earliest days of the cloud. Back then, cloud adoption was a trade-off between security and agility. These days, however, cloud platforms can actually offer superior security to on-premises systems thanks to features such as continuous updates, 24/7 monitoring, and expert third-party support.
Because Sparkrock is powered by the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ecosystem, it benefits from Microsoft's industry-leading security. It's can also be compliant with a wide range of regulatory frameworks, including HIPAA and PCI-DSS. Factor in robust, role-based permission systems, and you've got a platform that's exactly as secure as you need.
As mentioned, public safety organizations are constantly expected to do more with less. This means they might be a bit wary about how and where they spend their budgets. And, like it or not, plenty of platforms and solutions come with hefty upfront costs and licensing fees, meaning there is a bit of truth to this one.
We developed Sparkrock with public safety organizations in mind — not just their needs but also their budgets. That's why Sparkrock is both streamlined and cost-efficient. Your agency will pay only for the features it needs and uses, with no hidden fees or unexpected costs.
Not only that, but by using Sparkrock, you can do away with many of the costs associated with on-premises systems, such as hardware maintenance, while also unlocking new operational efficiencies and automation that significantly reduce your overhead.
When you hear the phrase enterprise resource planning, you don't really think of fire departments, paramedics, or police stations. It's an acronym that brings to mind corporate boardrooms and the private sector.
Even within the same industry, two organizations of the same size might have wildly different use cases for ERP software. It's why we designed Sparkrock 365 to be both adaptable and flexible. We recognize that for an ERP platform to be effective, it needs to align with your organization's needs and workflows, from reporting and collaboration to administration.
For many IT professionals, legacy is a dirty word. These outdated systems, we're told, have no place in the modern business world. Public safety is a little different in that regard — many agencies may have no choice but to use legacy software and hardware since it's all that's available for their use case.
You can see, then, how the idea of a new software platform that's incapable of integrating with older software and hardware would be off-putting, even if it's patently false.
It doesn't matter what software and hardware your agency uses. Because Sparkrock provides access to the Dynamics 365 ecosystem of applications and APIs, it can integrate seamlessly across various systems. We’ve also designed our platform to support integrations through partnerships and APIs.
Public safety organizations are no strangers to constrained resources. Fortunately, that's exactly what Sparkrock 365 is built for. Automation and simplified, consolidated scheduling, budgeting, and reporting help agencies allocate resources and operate far more efficiently.
It's the perfect tool for doing more with less — whether you're a police department, fire station, or something else entirely.
Want to explore how Sparkrock 365 can help your public safety organization operate more efficiently and effectively? Reach out to schedule a demo, and we'll show you.